“»Though the story Alex Beer tells can apply to the present day, she more especially brings a past time period to life. Here is masterpiece of atmospheric art that makes Vienna glow anew in a glimmering yet fascinating light. A world of years gone by into which we will be drawn, and will leave only unwillingly.« ”
— Jury des Leo-Perutz-Preises
“»Not cheap local colour, rather historical accuracy; no cheap fishing for punch lines or thrills, rather a true plot with surprising twists – a thoroughly composed, captivating novel.«”
— Simon Hadler, ORF.at
“»How Beer flips and turns this case is great cinema – even more so the excellently researched hopelessness of Vienna after the First World War.«”
— Stephan Bartels, Brigitte
“»Beer fans out society, skilfully making time into something vivid and putting life into the characters … A historical gap has been filled – excellently so.«”
— Elmar Krekeler, DIE WELT
“»The novel’s cynical and at the same time surprisingly empathetic protagonist is a fascinating character about whom a lot will still be told.«”
— Ernst Corinth, Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung
“»Sinister, melancholic, merciless and thrilling. A successful debut that is crying out for more – which is luckily planned.« ”
— Franziska Trost, Kronen Zeitung
“»A truly great plot with a perfectly researched historical background and a completely unpredicted, electrifying ending. Alex Beer offers here a great debut novel.«”
— Kölner Illustrierte
“»This is how it works!«”
— Zita Bereuter, ORF
“»This book is interesting in that Alex Beer succeeds in seamlessly blending history with a crime story plot.«”
— Peter Körte, FAZ
“»Alex Beer’s narrative sucks us into the Vienna of the interwar years, and after only a few sentences we want to know more.«”
— Susanne Zobl, NEWS
“»Alex Beer, the new star of Austrian crime fiction«”
— LiteraTOUR, Servus TV
“»The story lives as well from the many vivid characters that Alex Beer lovingly draws.«”
— Christiane Irrgang, NDR Kultur
“»An unputdownable and atmospherically dense crime story.«”
“»This book is a very readable historical crime story, through which wafts a scent of The Third Man.« ”
— Hamburger Abendblatt
“»This is not only a captivating crime story, it is also a nice piece of investigation of history.«”
— Eckhard Stuff, rbb kulturradio
“»Alex Beer has researched well. In particular, she has developed an interesting main character in August Emmerich.«”
— rbb
“»Morbid and sinister. The great political and social upheavals after the lost war leave their mark on the soundly told, exciting and informative story.«”
— Kleine Zeitung
“»Beer has written a great debut novel, and we can be assured that Inspector Emmerich und his assistant Ferdinand Winter will be welcome to more cases in future volumes.«”
— Frauke Kaberka, dpa
“»Beer underlays the crime plot with precise historical facts, thus making a gripping thriller into a stimulating history book.«”
— Hartwig Hochstein, Leipziger Volkszeitung
“»The blending of facts and fiction is thoroughly convincing.«”
— Deutschlandfunk
“»Apart from the compelling characters in the crime novel, Alex Beer has atmospherically densely brought the Vienna of 1919 to life.«”
— Buchmagazin
“»A book steeped in history.«”
— ORF, Guten Morgen Österreich
“»The period atmosphere, the suffering, and the daily struggle to survive are the themes of quite strong passages of the novel, which in themselves provide much of the suspense.«”
— dpa
“»This debut novel is very convincing.«”
— Luzerner Zeitung
“»Alex Beer creates the historical Vienna into a vibrant setting for a fascinatingly woven crime case.«”
— Büchermagazin
“»With The Second Rider, Alex Beer reveals her fine touch for the criminal.«”
— Das Neue Blatt
“»The Second Rider stimulates an appetite for more cases with August Emmerich.«”
— Ibbenbürener Volkszeitung
“»This well-researched book is a captivating, suspense-filled detective story of the calm before the storm.«”
— Gießener Allgemeine
“»A story rich in atmosphere.«”
— Mannheimer Morgen
“»Surprising turns, touching moments, and captivating to the end!«”
— Burgenländerin
“»[August Emmerich is] a personality that has sharp and ragged edges, not slick and not particularly sympathetic, but a definitely interesting figure.«”
